That Humiliation Looks Just Lovely With Your Hair
by Dollhousesareforwhimps
Summary: Nanako is good at many things. The game of Makeover is not one of them. Hints of Souji/Yosuke


Done for the Persona 4 kinkmeme. Please enjoy! Reviews are always appreciated. :)

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Nanako Dojima was proficient in many things.

One was gardening. When the weather was right -- sunny after a good rain -- there was nothing Nanako liked to do more than put on her sun hat, two oversized gloves, and tend the three beds that sat behind their house. Her father had set up the plots for her as a present on her fifth birthday and she took her little squares of land very seriously. In spring, small bushels of heather bloomed in shades of silver and pink. Summer brought chrysanthemums and asters. Autumn was an explosion of small, russet colored heleniums (or sneezeweed, as her father would call it whenever Nanako brought in yet another bouquet). Her garden became awash with green once the winter months came while her radishes and leeks slowly grew to maturity underneath the warm soil.

Another thing Nanako liked to do (and did well) was cooking. This was fortunate, as she often didn't have a choice whether or not she wanted to make dinner for herself. There were never many rules as far as what she was and wasn't allowed to do in the kitchen (probably because Dojima, himself, didn't know how many ways one could get hurt in one), but Nanako was a sensible girl. She washed her hands, used the microwave when she could, and Ialways/I avoided the knives. Those were for Big Bro to use, when he helped her make more elaborate meals. It was Big Bro who had fostered the necessity of cooking into a genuine passion for the small girl and, while she enjoyed cooking along just fine, preparing meals with Souji was always more fun.

But despite being a very capable girl in very many areas, there were a few areas where she suffered slightly.

One -- the _big_ one -- was the game of 'makeover'.

Makeup application, for the most part, follows a 'less is more' policy. Unless attending a costume ball or trying to fit in with a subculture, there's really no need to move beyond a few essentials. But for little girls -- especially little girls named Nanako Dojima that worshipped idols named Rise Kujikawa -- all the sparkly pastes, flesh colored creams, and brightly colored powders were too much to resist. Her large makeup kit had been another birthday present from her unsuspecting father. Needless to say, he spent the evening having his nose powdered and repowdered until he resembled a child's drawing. That or a rainbow explosion. This ritual continued, unabated, for the next few months. Her father would pick her up from kindergarten every Friday, followed by an early dinner at Aiya, followed by a lovely evening of clogging his pores with chalky creams. It was a routine that Nanako adored (and Dojima tolerated), but it was destined to be short lived. Dojima's work started piling up, Nanako started first grade, and suddenly there just wasn't any time for 'makeover' anymore.

That is, until Nanako found herself a new victim.

---

"Hold still, Big Bro!" the little girl chirped happily, threading his hair through her fingers carefully. In her hand was a large, glitter-doused hair clip. Souji's mouth was pressed into a line of grim determination as his little cousin tugged hard at his hair, as if trying to make it longer than it was.

"Sorry, Nanako," he mumbled, staring ahead at the mirror Nanako had placed on the table in front of them ("Just like in the fancy ladies salons!"). He wasn't quite sure how he'd been roped into this, yet again. Then again, those big brown eyes could fell the most impassive of men with a single eyelash bat. Souji didn't want to even think about when she was old enough to date.

"Okay, now, um…" Nanako placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully as she rummaged through her battered, pink makeup kit. After a moment, her hand emerged clutching a small vial of black, shimmering liquid. In her most professional voice, she held it up for her cousin to see, "This will go beautifully with your eyes!" Souji smiled weakly, trying to look thrilled as Nanako poured some of the black (_lumpy? Oh lord…_) substance onto a cotton ball.

"Now close your eyes~" she smiled, the cotton ball closing in on Souji's face with disturbing rapidity. He suppressed a wince and let his eyes fall shut, shuddering at the cool, slimy sensation on his eyelids.

Of course, being the benign creature she is, life decided to spring un unexpected visitor on him at this precise moment.

"I'll get it!" Nanako assured, leaping up to her feet, "Don't open your eyes! It has to set." Souji didn't really want to know _what_ had to set in that black goop, but he would rather not face Nanako's wrath only to have it applied a second time. Besides, he rationalized, it was probably just a delivery man.

"Yosuke-nii!"

It wasn't a delivery man. Souji groaned.

"Hey, Nana-chan! Your brother home?" He sounded as if he was still outside the door. Good, Souji thought, he could stay there.

"Yeah, but we're playing a game!" Good girl, Nanako. Let him know I can't go out today.

"Oh…" He could hear the disappointment in his friend's voice, but considering his hair was done up in ribbons and the black substance (_my God, is it **tar**!?_) seemed to be hardening over his closed eyelids, he couldn't bring himself to feel any of that disappointment on his own part.

"…Can I join in?"

Forget disappointed.

"You want to? Yay!"

Souji had moved onto contemplating how big a head injury it would take to wipe someone's memory.

"So, what are you playing?" he heard Yosuke ask. The sudden halt of his heavy footsteps let Souji know that he'd answered his question for himself.

"Makeover!" Nanako replied happily, settling back down next to Souji and making a small pleased noise when she noted he'd followed her instructions. Yosuke still hadn't moved.

"O-oh?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly. The pageant was still a fresh, traumatic memory for the both of them, after all. Nanako didn't seem to notice Yosuke's sudden pallor (not that Souji noticed it either. His eyes were still closed).

"Yeah! You can help me make Big Bro pretty!"

"…_Oh-ho._" The fear was gone, replaced by a mischievous edge. Souji didn't even need to Isee/I Yosuke to know he was smirking.

Before too long, another warm body sank down on Souji's left, only this one felt different. This one meant him harm, and he knew it.

"Nice to see you, Yosuke," he drawled, obviously not finding it very nice at all, "Speaking of see -- can I open my eyes now?"

"Sure!" Nanako smiled as the telltale sound of her sifting through her kit filled the air, ominous as a thunderclap. Relieved -- although that was a relative term, given his circumstances -- Souji went to open his eyes.

Only they wouldn't open.

"…Nanako, what is this stuff?" He was surprised by how calm he sounded, considering he'd just been forced into eternal darkness by his well meaning cousin. There was no answer, only a soft chain of 'Uhm's. "Yosuke, it's the bottle with the black stuff in it. Can you read the name for me?" There was a brief sound of fumbling through vials before Souji heard a soft chuckle ring out. That was quickly followed by a muffled giggle, followed once more by an unattractive snort.

"Lady Etsu's Nail Varnish! Guaranteed sturdier, stronger nail color for up to three weeks!" Yosuke barked, sounding every inch the salesman, "We carry this. I see you only buy the best, Nanako-chan."

Souji reached up, touching his finger to his eyelid. His nail made an audible tapping noise. Brilliant.

"Nanako, do we…" A sigh. A long, pained sigh. "Do we have any remover?"

"Yeah, I have some in here," Nanako murmured, obviously sounding dejected. Her voice was heartbreaking enough, Souji thought with a sigh. He could only imagine how her face might look in that moment. Thank God he couldn't see it, Souji realized. One look and he'd probably slather more of the stuff all over his body if she asked him to.

Then, in one horrible moment, he realized Yosuke could still see.

"H-hey, wait a minute Nanako-chan!" the boy interrupted hastily, "Why don't we finish the game? It's not like Souji needs to be able to see while we make him up, right?"

"But I wanted him to be able to see how he looks…," the little girl sighed mournfully. Yosuke was putty in her hands and Souji knew it.

"I've…uhm, I've…I've got a phone!" Yosuke blurted amidst the sound of him emptying his pockets, "Here, see? I can take as many pictures as you want."

"Really?" Nanako was smiling again. Souji could hear it in her voice, not to mention the prideful way Yosuke was shifting next to him.

"Yeah, of course," he gushed, right before the snap of a flash going off made itself known, "See? Oh, that's just beautiful Souji." A snort. "You're making the most…_ladylike_ face."

If Souji had his vision in that moment, Yosuke's face would be awash with purples and blues of the decidedly irremovable variety.

Unfortunately, he did not have his vision. With a few halfhearted pleas to go easy -- which were promptly ignored -- Souji was leaned back against the couch while his little sister and traitorous best friend went to work. Creams were slathered liberally over his face while the two argued about which shade would look best ("This looks good with his skin, right Yosuke-nii?" "I don't know, Nanako-chan, he's pretty pale. I think we should focus on making him look less dead than usual."). Then Yosuke's phone would make that simulated shutter sound and they would move onto the next step. With a tickle of brushes, Souji felt rather like a canvas while the pair discussed colors. Names like Baby's Blush Pink, Dewy Morning Viridian, Candy Apple Red, and the disturbingly vague Morning Sunrise were bandied around with the utmost seriousness. The camera phone clicked again, along with another snort on behalf of his friend.

"Are you nearly done?" Souji asked, more than a little desperate.

"Uh huh! Just…," there was a small dab under his eye before Nanako drew back with a pleased noise of triumph, "There! You're all done!"

The phone clicked again, "That's just gorgeous, man. You're a work of art." Souji merely scowled, only to be rewarded by yet _another_ camera click before he could correct his sour expression. Yosuke couldn't keep up his deadpan act, voice cracking with giggles, "Yep, simply breathtaking."

"Nanako, could you get the remover now?" Souji asked, not bothering to hide the note of pleading in his voice.

"Sure! Hmm…" The sound of bottles and vials clinking together filled the air. "Huh, I must have left it upstairs. Hold on!" Her socked footsteps slowly drew further away, followed by the thump-thump-thump of her climbing the stairs. Souji finally allowed himself to slump back against the couch.

"Tell me honestly, how much damage did you do?"

The smile in Yosuke's voice was nearly tangible as he settled a little closer to Souji's side, "Just enough to keep you finding glitter in your ears for a few weeks."

The butterfly clipped teenager groaned, about to express just _how_ much Yosuke owed him before a soft press of lips cut him off. The surprise of the contact -- more due to the fact he couldn't see Yosuke coming, rather than the fact that his best male friend was kissing him -- prompted Souji to pull back. Yosuke seemed to have anticipated this though and he soon felt fingers on the back of his neck, holding him in place. When the kiss finally broke, Souji was scowling a little.

"You can't just do that. I'm mad at you right now."

"Like I care! I've been waiting all afternoon for that." A pause, followed by another kiss under his ear. Souji could Ifeel/I the smirk on Yosuke's face, "Besides, you just look so _pretty_." That was the last straw. Souji pushed Yosuke away just as the sound of Nanako bounding down the stairs reached his ears.

"Found it! It was in Daddy's drawer," she explained, settling back down next to Souji, "Now…" She stopped talking, then gasped, sounding positively delighted. Souji furrowed his brow as best he could.

"N-Nana-chan?" he heard Yosuke stutter, clearly far more nervous than Yosuke. From the sound of it, Nanako was staring right at him.

"Yosuke-nii, I didn't know you liked to get makeovers too!"

Now it was Souji's turn to laugh.

"H-huh!?" He felt Yosuke's arm brush past his, most likely flying to his lips. The same lips that had just been pressed to Souji's sparkle-coated ones, "N-n-no! This is just…uhm, this is just…"

"Don't be embarrassed, Yosuke," Souji cooed, feeling around for a few cotton balls before taking the remover from Nanako, "Nanako and I would be _more_ than happy to make you…'breathtaking', I think your word was."

Payback was sweet.


End file.
